Kowit Wattana is a
ThaiThailand , officially the Kingdom of Thailand , formerly known as Siam , is a country located at the centre of the Indochina peninsula and Southeast Asia. It is bordered to the north by Burma and Laos, to the east by Laos and Cambodia, to the south by the Gulf of Thailand and Malaysia, and to the...
Police General and politician. From 2004 to 2007 he was the Commissioner-General of the
Royal Thai PoliceThe Royal Thai Police are the national police of Thailand.-About:Primary responsibility for the maintenance of public order through enforcement of the kingdom's laws was exercised by the Thailand National Police Department , a subdivision of the Ministry of Interior...
. In 2008, he was Minister of the Interior, and since 2011 he has been Deputy Prime Minister under
Yingluck ShinawatraYingluck Shinawatra , or nickname Pu , is a Thai businesswoman and politician, member of the Pheu Thai Party, and the 28th Prime Minister of Thailand following the 2011 general election...
. Kowit is an executive member of the ruling Pheu Thai Party.
Early life and Police service
Kowit Wattana's father was a teacher and prefect of the Phak Hai District. Kowit graduated from the Armed Forces Academies Preparatory School (class 6) and the Royal Police Cadet Academy (class 22). He started his career in public service as an officer of the
Border Patrol Police. He served in this paramilitary unit for 27 years.
From 1970 to 1975 he was on the Border Patrol Police special company fighting the
communist insurgencyThe Communist Party of Thailand - CPT was a Marxist-Leninist, Communist political party in Thailand, active from 1942 until the 1990s. Initially known as Communist Party of Siam the party was founded officially on the 1st of December 1942, although communist activism in the country began as early...
in Thailand. Later he commanded the troops responsible for a 120 km section of the Thai-Burmese border. Later he was leader of the Border Patrol Police in the whole
Northern sectorThailand's northern region is geographically characterised by multiple mountain ranges which continue from the Shan Hills in bordering Myanmar and Laos, and the river valleys which cut through them...
. In this position his main challenges were fighting
drug-related crimeIn the United States, Illegal drugs are related to crime in multiple ways. Most directly, it is a crime to use, possess, manufacture, or distribute drugs classified as having a potential for abuse...
, shutting down several
heroin factories in
Chiang MaiChiang Mai is the second-largest province of Thailand, located in the north of the country. Neighboring provinces are Chiang Rai, Lampang, Lamphun, Tak, and Mae Hong Son. In the north it borders Shan State of Burma...
,
Chiang RaiChiang Rai is the northernmost province of Thailand. Neighbouring provinces are Phayao, Lampang and Chiang Mai. In the north it borders Shan State of Myanmar and Bokeo of Laos.-Geography:...
,
PhayaoPhayao is one of the northern provinces of Thailand. Neighboring provinces are Nan, Phrae, Lampang and Chiang Rai. In the north-east it borders Xaignabouli of Laos.- Geography :...
and
Mae Hong SonMost of the areas of Mae Hong Son Province are complex mountain ranges and likely still pristine virgin forest. Of the approximately 6,976,650 rai of national forest reserves, 88.02% is thought to be pristine virgin forest...
, and
counter-insurgencyA counter-insurgency or counterinsurgency involves actions taken by the recognized government of a nation to contain or quell an insurgency taken up against it...
. In 1994, he was promoted to commander of the Border Patrol Police for the whole country.
In 2004, he was named Commissioner-General of the
Royal Thai PoliceThe Royal Thai Police are the national police of Thailand.-About:Primary responsibility for the maintenance of public order through enforcement of the kingdom's laws was exercised by the Thailand National Police Department , a subdivision of the Ministry of Interior...
.
Political career
Following the
2006 coup d'étatThe 2006 Thai coup d'état took place on Tuesday 19 September 2006, when the Royal Thai Army staged a coup d'état against the elected caretaker government of Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra...
, Kowit was named third chief deputy of the
Council for Democratic Reform under Constitutional MonarchyThe Council for National Security or, in brief, CNS , formerly known as the Council for Democratic Reform or, in brief, CDR , also translated as the Council for Democratic Reform under the Constitutional Monarchy, was the name of the military regime that governed Thailand following the 2006...
.
On 22 September, the Council gave Police General Wattana absolute power over all police matters. He was also made Chair of a new National Police Commission. The Commission will be assigned to amend the 2004 National Police Bill over the next year; the Bill had been originally been approved by the elected Parliament. Under the pre-coup legal framework, the Premier had been responsible for Chairing the Commission. So far, two members of the new police commission have been announced, Pol Gen Phatcharawat Wongsuwan and Pol Gen Issaraphan Sanitwong. He was replaced by
Seripisut TemiyavetPolice General Seripisut Temiyavet was Commissioner of the Royal Thai Police between February 2007 and April 2008. Appointed Police Commissioner of Thailand by a military junta, replacing Kowit Wattana, the Police Commissioner under deposed Premier Thaksin Shinawatra...
in 2007. There was great speculation about the motivation behind the replacement, as Kowit had earlier arrested several military personnel for alleged involvement in the 2006 Bangkok New Year's Eve bombings.
On 2 August 2008, Kowit Wattana was appointed Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Interior, replacing unpopular Chalerm Ubumrung for the latter position. On 24 September 2008, Kowit was appointed Minister of Interior in
Somchai WongsawatSomchai Wongsawat is a Thai politician, as well as former executive member of the People's Power Party whose political rights have been disfranchised by the Constitutional Court for five years....
's Cabinet, serving until the government broke apart on 2 December 2008.
He is an executive member of the Pheu Thai Party, successor of the dissolved and banned
People's Power PartyThe People's Power Party was a Thai political party founded on November 9, 1998 by Police Lieutenant Colonel Garn Tienkaew. The party leader was Somchai Wongsawat, the Party Secretary General was Surapong Suebwonglee, and the Party Spokesperson was Kuthep Saikrajarng...
. In September 2010 he was expected to replace
Yongyuth WichaiditYongyuth Wichaidit is a Thai politician and high-rank public servant. Currently, he is the chairman of the Pheu Thai Party which is the main governing party, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Interior in the government of Yingluck Shinawatra.Yongyuth served as deputy minister of interior,...
as the party's chairman, but he passed on and asked Yongyuth to carry on.
On 9 August 2011, Kowit was appointed Deputy Prime Minister in
Yingluck ShinawatraYingluck Shinawatra , or nickname Pu , is a Thai businesswoman and politician, member of the Pheu Thai Party, and the 28th Prime Minister of Thailand following the 2011 general election...
's Cabinet.